tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10170100290673808282017-06-22T05:18:34.272+03:00Willie LahtiLiving in Jyväskylä,Finland. I'm an artist, a writer, and a father.
I also work in a funky little bar.williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.comBlogger298125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-41857127559707568022012-12-10T13:41:00.000+02:002012-12-10T13:41:08.724+02:00And then the photos disappeared.If anyone is still out there you may have noticed that this blog has been pretty stagnant for quite some time. I've been busy, although I have the best of intentions. A reader pointed out recently that the photos on this blog had disappeared. All I can say, is that they are gone forever. The lack of photos on old posts is most likely my own fault. I am technologically stunted - I have a hard time with gadgets. Upon deciding to move up from an old clamshell Nokia to mid-range Samsung smart phone, While in the process of trying to remove the thousands of photos that Picasa web albums had loaded into my phone, I inadvertently managed to delete all the photos from the web albums also. Apparently, <a href="http://productforums.google.com/forum/#!searchin/picasa/smartphone$20delete/picasa/QiY0r6iuy9g/MulSyr0V5SoJ">I am not the only one who has had a problem </a>with operations such as this. Inconvenient, to say the least. <div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-2874194279174417492012-09-27T23:46:00.001+03:002012-09-27T23:46:46.902+03:00City of Light, My Ass! - latest column in JylkkäriClick <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/2012/09/city-of-light-my-ass/">here</a> to read my latest column in the <a href="https://www.jyu.fi/en">University of Jyväskyä</a> newspaper. <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/2012/09/city-of-light-my-ass/">City of Light, My Ass!</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-5123144341429930162012-09-10T02:14:00.001+03:002012-09-10T02:14:43.708+03:00A recent column published in Jylkkäri - Learn Finnish! (just in case.)A column recently published in Jylkkäri: <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/2012/08/learn-finnish-just-in-case/">Learn Finnish! (just in case.)</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-17509364932930019002012-08-15T15:44:00.000+03:002012-08-15T15:44:59.547+03:00A useful new blog for those learning FinnishHere is a useful new blog for those of you out there who are in the process of learning Finnish:<br /><br /><a href="http://randomfinnishlesson.blogspot.fi/">Random Finnish Lesson</a> promises to be quite helpful in explaining the sometimes challenging Finnish grammar as well as providing sentences and phrases that could prove to be handy for everyday life in Finland. The author of the blog is a Finnish as a Second Language teacher by profession and claims to be open to ideas and suggestions.<br /><br /><a href="http://randomfinnishlesson.blogspot.fi/">randomfinnishlesson.blogspot.com</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-90385925016875226642012-05-15T15:18:00.000+03:002012-05-15T15:18:21.079+03:00"Marinated" Meat - latest column in JylkkäriMy most recent column to be published in <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/">Jylkkäri</a> entitled <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1017010029067380828">"Marinated Meat"</a><br /><br /><br />Summer is here and so is the grilling season. There is nothing I enjoy more that meat grilled over flame, and it isn’t some romanticism for the primeval that appeals to me when grilling – it’s the flavor. Occasionally though, I do long for the days of old, before Finland’s meat packagers realized that they could truly screw us over by doing us the favor of “marinating” our meat for us.<br /><br />Nothing pisses me off more than swinging through the meat aisle at the grocery store and realizing that the only meat left for sale is of the so-called “marinated” variety. Swimming in a sickly smelling, MSG-tainted goop that could only have been concocted in an industrial test kitchen by culinary incompetents who have had their taste buds burned off with drain cleaner, factory-marinated meat as available in Finland is quite possibly the biggest scam that the food industry has come up with since kalakukko in a can.<br /><br />With a price per kilo equal to that of meat in its non-marinated form, the consumer ends of paying quite a bit more for a few hundred grams less meat and a few hundred grams more of that foul slime they call marinade. And why is it often the only option at the grocery store? Because nobody wants to buy that shit, and everyone who made it to the store before you did bought the meat that that hasn’t been tainted by the processors.<br /><br />If you are unlucky enough to end up having to buy meat drenched in that nasty shit, I suggest rinsing it well; otherwise your grill will become hopelessly gummed up with an impossibly gluey smegma that won’t come off without the aid of solvents that have been banned for household use in the developed world since the early 1970’s.<br /><br />The industrial marinade problem can be avoided by frequenting groceries that have an actual in-house meat counter, but if you are running on a tight schedule like I often am, you might not have the time to take a number and wait for a dozen grannies to buy 25 grams of pork belly and four slices of mettwurst apiece before your number comes up. When this is the case, and there is nothing to be found in the meat aisle but chicken breasts and pork loin floating in tubs of what would appear to be the vomit of a very ill hobo, I exercise my only other option, which is to prepare my family’s next meal in a meat-free manner. Thanks to the Finnish meat industry, I’m well on my way to becoming an involuntary vegetarian.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-72255469947033483352012-03-03T03:56:00.000+02:002012-03-03T03:56:37.591+02:00puserolaki/the shirt law - column in Jylkkäri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>My<a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/oldies/arkisto/1203/paasivu.htm"> most recent column (page 17) </a>in the University of Jyväskylä student newspaper <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/">Jylkkäri</a>, regarding the <i>puserolaki</i> aka shirt law. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Kosola_l%C3%A4hikuvassa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Kosola_l%C3%A4hikuvassa.jpg" width="281" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vihtori Kosola</span></i><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-11336923908481231732012-02-08T14:13:00.003+02:002012-02-08T22:56:49.962+02:00Laskiaispulla - Shrovetide pullaLaskiaispulla is sold in Finnish bakeries for a few weeks every year preceding <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrove_Tuesday" target="_blank">Shrove Tuesday</a>. It is made from a cardamom <a href="http://willielahti.blogspot.com/search?q=pulla">pulla</a> dough and filled with whipped cream and almond paste or whipped cream and jam.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Ul6BcLlpjapyBj6hNI3klA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_k2hbP6QPYiM/S3sCUs3GYdI/AAAAAAAAE6A/-cu508TwM9c/s400/P2160005.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size: 85%;">This laskiaispulla was made by </span></em><a href="http://www.fazergroup.com/templates/Fazer_CountryStartPage.aspx?id=91&amp;epslanguage=FI"><em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Fazer</span></em></a><em><span style="font-size: 85%;"> and is filled with almond paste and whipped cream.</span></em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-190256444834724022012-01-23T16:17:00.001+02:002012-01-23T16:17:48.136+02:00Runebergin torttu<i>Here is a post that I originally posted some time back. Runebergin päivä is coming up soon - &nbsp;make sure to try one of these cakes, which are based on a recipe developed by his wife <a href="http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredrika_Runeberg" target="_blank">Fredrika</a>.</i><br /><br />The 5th of February is <em>Runebergin päivä </em>(Runeberg Day). Johan Ludvig Runeberg lived from 1804 until 1877. He is the national poet of Finland, perhaps best known as the author of <em>Saarijärven Paavo</em> and <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tales_of_Ensign_St%C3%A5l">The Tales of Ensign Stål</a></em>, the prologue of which became the lyrics for the Finnish national anthem <em><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSlAuPOUew4">Maamme</a></em>.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Mhv3Z5CsbOt0vy_ZlTHxOQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_k2hbP6QPYiM/S2hn9AQUctI/AAAAAAAAEx4/BjLbTlfqr2c/s400/P2020018.JPG" /></a><br /><em>Runebergin torttu, as made by <a href="http://www.elonen.fi/">Elonen</a></em><br /><br />The tasty tortes made in honor of J.L. Runeberg usually hit the stores here in Finland several weeks before the holiday which is celebrated in his honor.<br /><br />A <a href="http://www.dlc.fi/~marian1/gourmet/15_21.htm">recipe</a> that I found for these sweet, moist, almondy little cakes. I have to admit I haven't tried this recipe. If you do, let me know how it works out.<em></em><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-72014949590796977952012-01-23T09:44:00.001+02:002012-01-23T09:48:36.474+02:00Column in the New World Finn - Real Choices, Real Change, and Real Estate Agents<i>My most recent column to be published in the <a href="http://www.newworldfinn.com/" target="_blank">New World Finn</a>.</i><br />&nbsp; <br />The New Year is well under way. &nbsp;After an unseasonably warm and rainy&nbsp;December, the temperature has ﬁnally dropped below the freezing point and&nbsp;there is some snow on the ground, although not as much as we have been used&nbsp;to over the last few years.<br /><br />Presidential elections are being held in both of my homelands this year. &nbsp;The ﬁrst&nbsp;round of the Finnish elections will be held on the 22nd of January. &nbsp; If one of the&nbsp;nine candidates on the ballot receives more than half of the votes cast in the election,&nbsp;that candidate is elected President.&nbsp;If nobody receives a majority of the votes cast,&nbsp;the elections move on to the second round. &nbsp;The second round will then be betweenthe two candidates who received the most votes in the ﬁrst round of voting. &nbsp;Thecandidate who receives the most votes in the second round is elected President.<br /><br />This system of democracy is quite different from that which I accepted as the norm&nbsp;when I was still living back in the States. &nbsp;For starters, being able to choose between&nbsp;9 different candidates/political parties is still a bit on the overwhelming side for me. &nbsp;One of my main complaints about the two party system in the U.S. has always been&nbsp;that voting for president feels more like buying a hamburger along the&nbsp;freeway than electing a leader. &nbsp;One can choose between McDoofus and&nbsp;Burger Chump, but what kind of choice do you have if you’d rather not&nbsp;have fast food? &nbsp;You don’t have one really, or at least that is how I have&nbsp;felt for most of my life as a citizen of voting age in the United States. &nbsp;I do have to admit that the two party system has kept things running<br />rather smoothly, but recently it seems that a lot of people are starting to&nbsp;realize that the game is rigged like a crooked carnies’ wheel of fortune&nbsp;and if they don’t get some real change and some real choices, these folks&nbsp;just might decide to ﬂip the carnies’ trailer over.<br /><br />So the headlines in the news these days lean towards the political, but&nbsp;politics isn’t the only thing on my mind. &nbsp;My journey as an immigrant&nbsp;has been going on for close to a decade and I’m still learning things&nbsp;about my new homeland every day. &nbsp;We’ve moved from an apartment&nbsp;and into a house and I’ve entered an entire new conceptual area of&nbsp;Finland that I haven’t been to before. &nbsp;Real estate agents, loan ofﬁcers,&nbsp;plumbers and electricians, hardware stores and gardening centers are&nbsp;adding new concepts to my social and linguistic vocabularies. &nbsp;Heating&nbsp;with wood and shoveling my own snow. &nbsp;Setting mousetraps and&nbsp;wondering why the chimney sweep hasn’t called me back yet. &nbsp;Figuring&nbsp;out which valves shut what off and hoping that the gutters don’t fall off&nbsp;before I can replace them in the summer. &nbsp;Wondering if my wife will&nbsp;go into labor tonight or in a few days time? &nbsp;Things that are far more&nbsp;relevant to my life than whoever wants to be in charge. &nbsp;Finland will<br />have a new president within the next few weeks. &nbsp;The U.S. will decide&nbsp;its presidential question at the end of the year. &nbsp;&nbsp;I've&nbsp;seen presidents in&nbsp;both countries come and go. &nbsp;I’m thinking about putting in a few more<br />apple trees in the spring.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-2365277091121343302012-01-23T01:07:00.000+02:002012-01-23T01:07:41.305+02:00Column in Jylkkäri - Wintertime in JyväskyläCheck out my latest column in Jylkkäri - <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/oldies/arkisto/1201/paasivu.htm" target="_blank">Wintertime in Jyväskylä (pg 13)</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-58115214223613048162012-01-06T17:43:00.000+02:002012-01-06T17:43:39.312+02:00New and Improved Finnish Sentence of the Day (on Facebook)<a href="https://www.facebook.com/FSotD" target="_blank">Finnish Sentence of the Day</a> has gone through a bit of a transformation on Facebook. &nbsp;Check it out <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FSotD" target="_blank">here</a>&nbsp;and don't forget to click the "like" button.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-35003014009521070152011-12-20T21:35:00.000+02:002011-12-20T21:35:37.917+02:00Some fresh paintingsHere are a few paintings that I finished up (and also managed to sell) a few weeks back. Lately I've been working on paper rather than on canvas or wood. <br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tqvmXKhLXVX-wZ73eK3tYNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7kVTQjFyj7U/Tu9lcvgd3-I/AAAAAAAAGMw/1-FGVGWmFSg/s400/DSCN5377.JPG" width="266" /></a><br /><i>kapparot (</i><i>this is my atonement)</i><br />acrylic and marker on paper<br />2011<br />private collection<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/n0s3DZO_0rcMjQlZTmGg8dMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite" style="font-style: italic;"><img height="288" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0mxrrK4zFKY/Tu9lgn4oKyI/AAAAAAAAGM0/TZaJFTeS4Y0/s400/DSCN5380.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><i style="font-style: italic;">creation bear</i><br />acrylic and marker on paper<br />2011<br />private collection<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/By2OJfEqNT75E7mjJMzbndMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite" style="font-style: italic;"><img height="298" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-tSWO28xbOXM/Tu9liMao-QI/AAAAAAAAGM4/K2lkH10Z6BU/s400/DSCN5382.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><i style="font-style: italic;">vigilance</i><br />acrylic and marker on paper<br />2011<br />private collection<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VyuwN9cQDzF9uDwvCl3dctMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite" style="font-style: italic;"><img height="294" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-qiR0NiDDHiw/Tu9ljeKHHQI/AAAAAAAAGM8/BTHko0yLNG0/s400/DSCN5384.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><i style="font-style: italic;">grinning lion</i><br />acrylic and marker on paper<br />2011<br />private collection<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/IP_LSRgvsIfucewc-tZ-4tMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite" style="font-style: italic;"><img height="293" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HKBn3mhFrFM/Tu9lk5IAQpI/AAAAAAAAGNA/ww1aJKogXgg/s400/DSCN5386.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><i style="font-style: italic;">growling lion</i><br />acrylic and marker on paper<br />2011<br />private collection<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/JUCkf5xaIpSpi0ax4QoS69MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite" style="font-style: italic;"><img height="258" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-hRBrfYs53Hg/Tu9lmO0XnCI/AAAAAAAAGNE/RFE5aZlVU1A/s400/DSCN5388.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><i style="font-style: italic;">hungry bear</i><br />acrylic and marker on paper<br />2011<br />private collection<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/cs69xHzRAy_GoYgiHl2S6tMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite" style="font-style: italic;"><img height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g8cKi4S7UME/Tu9lnemGKLI/AAAAAAAAGNI/AO-rgPA-8gs/s400/DSCN5391.JPG" width="315" /></a><br /><i style="font-style: italic;">mother coyote laughs</i><br />acrylic and marker on paper<br />2011<br />private collection<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-77174143684691213412011-12-08T02:19:00.000+02:002011-12-08T02:19:11.726+02:00Uno Cygnaeus and the Finnish educational systemA<a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/2011/12/willies-lesson/"> column of mine concerning Uno Cygnaeus and the Finnish educational system</a>, recently published in the<a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/oldies/arkisto/1115/paasivu.htm"> Jylkkäri</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-87600597461213223662011-11-06T22:31:00.000+02:002011-11-06T22:31:34.491+02:00Linnut - BirdsI've got a show up at <a href="http://www.vakiopaine.net/">Vakiopaine</a> for the next 3 weeks.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_YoiCHBSTd4ijyCBuyxsBA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="300" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-QCgMbSfC0zE/TrbsK9x3a7I/AAAAAAAAGL8/e0If46490Dk/s400/DSCN4917.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><strong>Cygnus cygnus (1)</strong><br />akryyli ja tussi kankaalle<br />acrylic and marker on canvas<br />2011<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/iIj-qxo04TyjX4u_Dg23Hg?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="301" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-cH1izRQ_TLI/TrbsNePoLII/AAAAAAAAGMA/Fokf5PBr_pY/s400/DSCN4925.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><strong>Cygnus cygnus (2)</strong><br />akryyli ja tussi kankaalle<br />acrylic and marker on canvas<br />2011<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wvOFAXYaLBV2UmkXP5D1_Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="301" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tL1FT-GzgUk/TrbsPpQaqoI/AAAAAAAAGME/ZvF-ps49x8E/s400/DSCN4934.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><strong>Grus grus</strong> <br />akryyli ja tussi vaneerille<br />acrylic and marker on plywood<br />2011<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/YSGQrHTjIgFKLjFN_NcVDA?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="302" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r6MXF3JQXKw/TrbsTHjdSoI/AAAAAAAAGMI/GhTmBIy4Vtg/s400/DSCN4955.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><strong>Cuculus canorus (1)</strong> <br />akryyli ja tussi kankaalle<br />acrylic and marker on canvas<br />2011<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/73jUUKt7q3R7A-GbAyUCgw?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="299" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GfFjl6r_cus/TrbsVGiDWNI/AAAAAAAAGMM/qo66xkwCzTY/s400/DSCN4963.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><strong>Cuculus canorus (2)</strong><br />akryyli ja tussi kankaalle<br />acrylic and marker on canvas<br />2011<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-36830007766015318222011-11-04T14:25:00.000+02:002011-11-04T14:25:03.573+02:00Tourulan kuvataiteilijoiden avoimet ovet 2011 -Artists of Tourula Open House<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_cz_HpOEhKEpr3YJnKxWqA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-moOKmGI7K_U/TrPVxnr-fMI/AAAAAAAAGL0/V9yCUZgHPZU/s400/tourulan_kuvataiteilijat_kutsu.jpg" height="400" width="282" /></a><br /><br />Here's a chance for the public to check out the artist's hallway in the old Rifle Factory <a href="http://www.jykeskiinteistot.fi/?page_id=22">(Kivääritehdas)</a>. We'll be having an open house on Saturday, the 12th of November. Our studios will be open to the public from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-34163668344999211582011-10-24T13:59:00.000+03:002011-10-24T13:59:30.505+03:00Recent Jylkkäri column - The Fifth SeasonFind my most recent Jylkkäri column <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/oldies/arkisto/1112/paasivu.htm">here (page 13 ).</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-71759612667774619292011-10-11T16:29:00.000+03:002011-10-11T16:29:30.265+03:00Recent Jylkkäri column - If you don't play, nobody winsRead my most recent <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/">Jylkkäri</a> column, titled <i>If you don't play, nobody wins </i><a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/oldies/arkisto/1111/paasivu.htm">here(pg. 11).</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-42041249009216104402011-09-28T13:16:00.001+03:002011-09-28T14:02:52.344+03:00Latest New World Finn essay - On the Edge of a Slippery Slope<i>I write for the <a href="http://www.newworldfinn.com/">New World Finn </a>- a Finnish-American quarterly that <a href="http://www.newworldfinn.com/subscribe_paypal.htm">I suggest you subscribe to</a>. <br /><br />Here is an essay that they published recently under the title "On the Edge of a Slippery Slope".</i><br /><br />I found the remains of two old kick sleds today. We recently bought a house, and with the house came a yard. There is an old root cellar out back and my curiosity got the best of me. The exposed brick wall was crumbling. The hopeless door was held almost shut by a damp length of tree branch and two bricks which had lost the battle with gravity. With the crumbling mortar and dropping bricks keeping me on my toes I wrenched the door open. I made a mental note to knock this thing down sometime soon. Tree roots were pushing through the ceiling, which at one time had been reinforced with a piece of metal sheeting.<br /><br />I took a step back and peered into the creepy dark. I knew there was no way I was going in there. Visions of being knocked out by a brick and buried alive were more than obvious. Since a good buddy of mine just overcame a bout with the Hanta virus there was no way I was about to go wading around in that pile of mouse turds that controlled the floor. <br /> <br />My eyes started to make out the outlines of rusting objects. I could reach them without actually putting my entire body into that rotting tomb. I held my breath, stuck my arms in and pulled that metal from the earth back into the sunlight.<br /><br />With most of the wood rotten away, the kick sleds were otherwise intact. Made from the good steel of the way things used to be, the runners were only rusty on the surface. A little wire brushing and a bit of oiling and they’d be glowing.<br /><br />I find myself on the edge of a slippery slope. The first bits of junk are all it takes to accumulate a pile. These sled parts can be filed in the potentially useful category. I could easily rebuild their wooden parts and have two quality kick sleds. Two sleds not at all like the junk that the mega-markets sell these days. But will I ever actually embark on such a project and, if I do, will I actually ever work it to completion?<br /><br />I’m tempted to put those sled irons back into the root cellar right before I take the walls down with a hammer and a bar. Return them to the earth; cover them with crumbing mortar and a jumble of red brick. Then some dirt and hacked up tree roots, a wheelbarrow or two of compost and an apple tree. That oxidizing metal would never get out of there; my junk pile would fail to accumulate.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-67111189727309938222011-09-27T02:34:00.000+03:002011-09-27T02:34:38.202+03:00Jylkkäri article - Rautalanka-soundsMy most recent article in <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/">Jylkkäri</a>. <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/oldies/arkisto/1110/paasivu.htm">Check out the pdf (pg 13) here.</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-48908608775354824002011-09-21T02:54:00.002+03:002011-09-21T08:58:53.622+03:00Free football for mamuAre you an immigrant/of immigrant background? Do you like football(soccer)? Do you live in Jyväskylä? If so, <a href="http://www.fcjjk.com/jjk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1878&Itemid=142&lang=fi">JJK </a>(Jyväskylä's football/soccer team) would like to invite you to watch the match for free on Sunday,the 25th of September at <a href="http://www.jyvaskyla.fi/liikunta/ulkoliikuntapaikat/harjun_stadion">Harju stadium</a>, if you attend the game with a person who has purchased a ticket. They will also provide coffee and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulla">pulla</a>. <a href="http://www.iltalehti.fi/jalkapallo/2011092014419101_vg.shtml?fb_ref=flb&fb_source=profile_oneline">This is not a joke. </a> <br /><br />This stunt was inspired by <a href="http://www.iltalehti.fi/uutiset/2011090114308161_uu.shtml">former President Martti Ahtisaari's challenge </a>to all Finns to invite an immigrant out for coffee in order to promote understanding between cultures and to help immigrants feel welcome in Finnish society.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-31945783455643107822011-09-19T22:21:00.000+03:002011-09-19T22:21:02.404+03:00Muuan Mies - Live at Vakiopaine<a href="http://www.myspace.com/muuanmies">Muuan Mies </a>, a great band featuring songs written by one of Finland's most relevant lyricists, recently performed a show at <a href="http://vakiopaine.net/">Vakiopaine</a>. Here are a few photos and some video from the event:<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/1daQi-kgpMY4sDvA9YnQ5g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VmpIlNDQqew/Tnceq-W7V7I/AAAAAAAAGKk/DMUsnbWB0rs/s400/DSCN4480.JPG" height="299" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Q6PJmC1yzzhgJaLDgLlnng?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LQ4SEMd2CUo/TncesQ-uOXI/AAAAAAAAGKo/fkpDwap74bw/s400/DSCN4484.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Muuan Mies is:<br />Ismo Puhakka: vocals and guitar<br />Petri Alanko: guitar<br />Jaakko Eino Kalevi: bass<br />Pekka Huttunen: acordian <br />Arwi Lind: drums<br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/o4y5UZjTp_I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />Muuan Mies cuts records with the <a href="http://www.helmilevyt.com/">Helmi Levyt </a>label, one of the finest Finnish indie record companies. Check out my <a href="http://willielahti.blogspot.com/2011/03/helmi-levyt.html">interview with Arwi Lind of Helmi Levyt.</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-30034078480903702492011-09-07T11:18:00.000+03:002011-09-07T11:18:47.525+03:00Article in Jylkkäri - Five things you should do in Jyväskylä<a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/">Jylkkäri</a>, the student newspaper of the <a href="https://www.jyu.fi/en">University of Jyväskylä </a>has published another one of my articles. This time the subject is "five things you should do in <a href="http://www.jyvaskyla.fi/lang/">Jyväskylä</a>. This article is targeted for foreign students at the university, but I guess it could apply to anyone who is living in or visiting Jyväskylä.<br /><br />Read the article <a href="http://www.jylkkari.fi/oldies/arkisto/1109/paasivu.htm">here (pages 14-15).</a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-51659018050651038962011-08-27T02:51:00.000+03:002011-08-27T02:51:45.388+03:00The newly remodeled sauna at TuomiojärviOperated by <a href="http://www.meloiloa.net/">Meloiloa ry</a> (the local canoeing and kayaking association) this sauna has undergone an interior remodel recently. <br /><br />Still unassuming on the outside, the inside is sporting newly configured benches and a brand new <a href="http://www.harvia.fi/">Harvia</a> stove.<br /><br />Located on the shore of Lake Tuomiojärvi, just minutes from downtown Jyväskylä, a 3 hour rental will set you back 90 euros.<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/e8yFJ3ZbeRzmeI0l4Q_LGg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7EWZMfWfLz8/TleCMT6RxII/AAAAAAAAGH8/BQQra45Eo9g/s400/DSCN4458.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/_MhQdWV0CPRzQ5LQrBOlHQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ADIhkJfasGc/TleCNzPn9HI/AAAAAAAAGIA/1QC6W12oER0/s400/DSCN4455.JPG" height="301" width="400" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qEGfOwgKz6UuAFt3ocoLiw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-bc_RAcFmsiE/TleCPBkCx3I/AAAAAAAAGIE/8A3p4Nei1ic/s400/DSCN4459.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-38089043065069158662011-07-03T17:03:00.000+03:002011-07-03T17:03:17.149+03:00Kuokkalan kartano - the Kuokkala mansion<em>A repost from last summer - still a great place for an afternoon coffee.</em><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/mmnQVGSnUXIuf_or_NqlHw?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_k2hbP6QPYiM/TAe4OaiKVRI/AAAAAAAAFXc/yqshfZy43tM/s400/DSCN0462.JPG" /></a><br /><br />A great place to have a coffee and cake. The selection of cakes and pastries was almost too much to handle. We each had coffee and a slice of cake and the bill came to 11 €. Not bad considering that table service is included and you get to enjoy a pretty swanky atmosphere as you sip your coffee.<br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/BlYIRexeyQEp6f5aZhCh_w?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_k2hbP6QPYiM/TAe4JAl-2WI/AAAAAAAAFXc/iBZrxPeVkRc/s400/DSCN0430.JPG" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size: 85%;">Chocolate cake and Tosca cake along with some pretty decent coffee.</span></em><br /><em><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span></em><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Tkkx6Dd4Nfp5ghvM7pNV5g?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_k2hbP6QPYiM/TAe4KDhZPXI/AAAAAAAAFXc/pCL8b3DGrRg/s400/DSCN0443.JPG" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 85%;"><em>We enjoyed our coffee on the porch, but we could have also been in this elegant little salon.</em></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br /><a href="http://www.kuokkalankartano.fi/"><span style="font-size: 100%;">Kuokkalan Kartano</span></a></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> was designed by Wiwi Lönn and built in 1904. The cafe and upstairs art display are open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m and weekends from noon until 5 p.m. Closed on Mondays.</span><br /><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/RsKoi4DYXRnMzaCNk4kiEA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_k2hbP6QPYiM/TAe4MY6oJ4I/AAAAAAAAFXc/PdjJfOjvZ3c/s400/DSCN0457.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XI_bA5cFSMP4gthYD-JqJg?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_k2hbP6QPYiM/TAe4Qgnla5I/AAAAAAAAFXc/zj8gZhcpm6k/s400/DSCN0450.JPG" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1017010029067380828.post-67886400745582030852011-06-22T11:35:00.002+03:002011-06-23T03:32:28.224+03:00Article recently published in New World Finn - Proud to be a mamuThis column of mine was recently published in the <a href="http://www.newworldfinn.com/">New World Finn<br /></a> - an Finnish-American quarterly that I recommend you subscribe to if you are interested in the Finnish diaspora. Hopefully they make online subscription a reality soon so folks outside of the U.S. and Canada can also subscribe to this fine paper.<br /><br />(Click on text to enlarge. Finnish translation can be found below.)<br /><br /><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gusJ8CGe9uY_amfmpT4qZQ?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-EomjfHOshSE/TgGl6mfYssI/AAAAAAAAGEk/RJGjxebtoew/s400/Top.bmp.jpg" height="239" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Mamu on suhteellisen uusi sana suomen kielessä. Sitä käytettiin alun perin maahanmuuttaja-sanan byrokraattisena lyhenteenä, mutta se sai pian negatiivisia mielleyhtymiä, kun suvaitsemattomat ksenofobit alkoivat käyttää sitä internetin keskustelupalstoilla. Näiden onnettomien yksilöiden suurimmat huolenaiheet olivat (ja ovat edelleen), että mamut olivat täällä varastamassa työpaikkoja, hyväksikäyttämässä sosiaalietuuksia ja muutenkin pilaamassa "puhdasta" suomalaista kulttuuria. Viime vuosina muutamat meistä maahanmuuttajista ovat alkaneet vaatia mamu-sanaa itsellemme, jotta voisimme ylpeinä tunnustautua mamuiksi. Sanoissa on voimaa ja haluamme mamu-sanan voiman itsellemme.<br /><br />Joskus vitsailen, että olen tuplamamu – maahanmuuttajien jälkeläinen, joka on päättänyt seurata perheen perinteitä ja tulla itse siirtolaiseksi. Olisin voinut hiihtää helpompaakin latua tässä maailmassa, ja joinakin päivinä minulla on heikkoja hetkiä, jolloin kaipaan innottomasti vanhaa kotimaatani, maata, jossa olen syntynyt. Sekä yhteiskunnalliset että kulttuurilliset erot vaikuttavat mamun jokapäiväiseen elämään, ja ne vain korostuvat, kun maahanmuuttajien vastustajat pääsevät ääneen. <br /><br />Nykyinen poliittinen tilanne ei tee mamun elämää yhtään helpommaksi. Kevään eduskuntavaalien tulokset osoittavat, että noin 19 % suomalaisista ei halua meitä Suomeen. Nämä ovat pääosin samoja ihmisiä, jotka äänestivät populistista Perussuomalaiset-puoluetta. Perussuomalaisten epävirallinen linja on ”En ole rasisti, mutta…”. He peittävät rasismiaan semiälykkään populistisella retoriikalla, mutta viesti on selkeä: Suomi vain suomalaisille. Persut voivat jongleerata sanojaan ja iskulauseitaan niin paljon kun he jaksavat, mutta he eivät voi kätkeä tietämättömyyttään eivätkä muutoksen pelkoaan. Heidän on myös otettava vastuu maahanmuuttajien ja maahanmuuttajataustaisten suomalaisten kokemasta lisääntyneestä vihamielisyydestä ja väkivallasta. Perussuomalaisten ansiosta vähemmän valaistuneiden mielessä on ok olla kiihkoilija. <br /><br />Olen ylpeä maahanmuuttajaesivanhemmistani, miehistä ja naisista, jotka olivat tarpeeksi rohkeita jättämään kaiken tutun siinä toivossa, että he löytäisivät onnen ja turvallisuuden jossain tuolla suuressa isossa maailmassa, kaukana kotoa. Olen myös ylpeä ollessani maahanmuuttaja Suomessa, ja pitivät Persut siitä tai ei, olemme täällä mamuveljieni ja -sisarteni kanssa pysyvästi. Olemme osa tulevaisuuden Suomea: Suomea, jolla on paljon potentiaalia, Suomea, jolla on mahdollisuuksia, unelmien Suomea, ja toivomme että jonakin päivänä lapsemme ovat ylpeitä siitä mitä olemme saavuttaneet käsillämme, selillämme, aivoillamme.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fwillielahti.blogspot.com%2F&amp;layout=button_count&amp;show_faces=true&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light&amp;height=21" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height:21px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe></div>williehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14909861970208064438noreply@blogger.com8